The word God does
not appear in the U.S. Constitution. Kramnick and Moore remind us why it does not and
also how efforts to insert it have been staved off. They take us back to radical
Christian Roger Williams' influential insistence upon a religiously neutral polity
for Rhode Island and to the British roots of the American secular state in the thought
of John Locke. They show how the first four presidents resisted officially
Christianizing the country and how nineteenth-century Baptist ministers led efforts to
keep church and state separate. Their history lessons are enthralling and ought to
give even the most ardent supporter of public school prayer pause.

Is the separation of
church and state a "myth"? Was the United States founded as a "Christian nation"? If you
believe the propaganda of the Religious Right, then the answer to both questions is an
emphatic yes. To believe the propaganda, however, you must be ignorant of the facts of
U.S. history and constitutional law. In [this book], award winning journalist Rob Boston
lambaste the zealots of the Religious Right for spreading misinformation about the
constitutional principal. He reveals how a band of ultraconservative religious groups
with a political agenda  led primarily by televangelist Pat Robertsonis
conducting a systematic war against separation of church and state.

Religious Court Rulings: (1948-1997)Excerpts from important court decisions regarding the constitutional and
legal boundary of the Establishment Clause. (Also includes court cases regarding the
recent legislative efforts to get creationism taught in public schools.)

Words of our American Founding Fathers: Quotation CompilationDid the Founding Fathers of the United States really mean to disentangle the Church from the
State? This comprehensive quotation list attempts to demonstrate so. Read what the founders had to say about
Separation, as well as what they said regarding their own religious views.

A Memorial and Remonstrance: by James Madison (1785)"Who does not see that the same authority which can establish
Christianity in exclusion of all other religions may establish, with the same ease, any
particular sect of Christians in exclusion of all other sects? That the same authority
which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support
of any one establishment may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases
whatsoever?"

Piety versus"Secular Humanism": A Phony War: by Marvin Frankel"A measure supporting public-school prayers became a central plank
of the Republican platform. . . While that position has never commanded the two-thirds
vote in Congress required to launch an amendment, it appears steadfastly to enlist a large
majority in American public opinion polls."

Essays in Addition to America's Real Religion: by Gene Garman"When Christian fundamentalists want to appear open-minded they
refer to America as a Judeo-Christian nation or a nation built on Judeo-Christian principles.
However, there is not one Christian fundamentalist who believes that Jews are going to Heaven
or that Judaism is worthy of spiritual respect in this worldbecause Judaism rejects the
divinity of Jesus. Christian fundamentalists use the Jewish name only to abuse it."

The Practical Separation of Church and State: by Benjamin UnderwoodUnderwood's 1876 public address is a ringing call for the separation of
church and state. The address is important not only for it's philosophical and practical
arguments on behalf of separation, but for it's historical arguments that separation was
intended by the framers. Additionally, Underwood argues against what turned out to be an
unsuccessful attempt amend the Constitution to officially acknowledge Christianity.

The Great Infidels: by Robert G. Ingersoll (1881)"Thomas Paine was a champion, in both hemispheres, of human liberty;
one of the founders and fathers of this Republic; one of the foremost men of his age. He never
wrote a word in favor of injustice. He was a despiser of slavery. He abhorred tyranny in every
form. He was, in the widest and best sense, a friend of all his race. His head was clear as his
heart was good, and he had the courage to speak his honest thoughts."

Letter to Andrew Dean: by Thomas Paine (1806)In this short letter Thomas Paine explains to his friend why he has rejected
the Christian faith. Though, for a fuller explanation of Paine's views, see his classic essay
The Age of Reason, written in the years 1794-1796.

The United States Constitution: (1787)"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government
for a redress of grievances."

Arguments for Separation

Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement Of Current Law: from the A.C.L.U.
"The organizations whose names appear below span the ideological, religious
and political spectrum. They nevertheless share a commitment both to the freedom of religious
practice and to the separation of church and state such freedom requires. In that spirit, we
offer this statement of consensus on current law as an aid to parents, educators and students."

Should Government Support Faith-Based Social Services?"The following discussion examines the possible ramifications of Charitable
Choice on the separation of church and state. Charitable Choice is a proposed government
program in which secular organizations would receive federal funding for programs geared
toward assisting the poor. Four prominent legal religious scholars engage in heated debate
addressing the long-term effects of this program. They are: Nathan Diament, Douglas Laycock,
Barry Lynn, and Erwin Chemerinsky."

The History of Separation

Notes on the Founding Fathers and the Separation of Church and State: by R. P. Nettelhorst
"Many well-meaning Christians argue that the United States was founded by
Christian men on Christian principles. Although well-intentioned, such sentiment is
unfounded. The men who lead the United States in its revolution against England, who wrote
the Declaration of Independence and put together the Constitution were not Christians by
any stretch of the imagination."

Six Historic Americans: by John E. Remsburg"Were the American people asked to name the five great historic figures of
the first century of our national existence  the illustrious men who contributed most to
build and glorify the United States of America  the answer would be, George Washington,
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Ulysses S. Grant. In this volume
is presented the evidence of the disbelief of these great men."

The Christian Nation Myth: by Farrell Till
"Fundamentalist Christians are currently working overtime to convince the
American public that the founding fathers intended to establish this country on 'biblical
principles,' but history simply does not support their view. Our founding fathers
established a religiously neutral nation, and a constitution that would protect the
religious freedom of everyone regardless of personal creed."

The Religious Beliefs Of Our Presidents: by Franklin Steiner"Much has been written concerning the religious beliefs of our Presidents,
but, until now, no one has gone into the subject thoroughly. A number of books have appeared,
all of which, instead of giving facts, are merely religious propagandistic documents. Franklin
Steiner, the author of the present work, was engaged for over two years in writing it. He has
been a student of the subject for over 40 years. This book is thoroughly documented, and is a
straight-forward, trustworthy account of the religious beliefs of our Presidents."

Critique of David Barton's "America's Godly Heritage": Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs
"David Barton, in his taped presentation called America's Godly Heritage,
peddles the proposition that America is a 'Christian Nation,' legally and historically His
presentation has just enough ring of truth to make him credible to many people. It is, however,
laced with exaggerations, half- truths, and misstatements of fact. His citation to supporting
research is scant at best and at times non-existent. This booklet contains a short critique of
some of the major points that Mr. Barton raises."

Inaccuracies and improper usage of quotes from the Founding Fathers: by Wayne Aiken
"In the debate over 'culture war' issues we frequently hear a number of
assertions from religious groups, and those who advocate a greater role for religion in public
affairs: 'America is a Christian nation' 'The United States was founded upon Judeo Christian
principles' 'The separation of state and church is a myth, with no basis in law.' These are
not abstract, arcane arguments; rather, they are part of the political landscape throughout
the United States today, as Christian fundamentalist movements seek to rationalize and advance their agenda."

Should You Pay Taxes To Support Religious Schools?: Americans United
"Who should make the decision about how much money you contribute to religious
groups  you or the government? Most Americans would have no trouble answering that question.
All of us want the right to freely make our own choices about religion. Yet an increasingly
influential coalition of religious and political leaders is working to undercut that right by
requiring taxpayer support for private religious schools."

Do School Vouchers Violate the Establishment Clause?: by Arlin AdamsA panel discussion on the constitutionality and the general effectiveness of
private school vouchers. Debating the topic are Elizabeth J. Coleman, Ruti G. Teitel, Stephen
D. Sugarman, Kevin J. Hasson, and Elliot Mincberg.

School Prayer

The Case Against School Prayer: by Annie Laurie Gaylor"Public schools exist to educate, not to proselytize. Children in public schools
are a captive audience. Making prayer an official part of the school day is coercive and
invasive. What 5, 8, or 10-year-old could view prayers recited as part of class routine as
'voluntary'? Religion is private, and schools are public, so it is appropriate that the two
should not mix."

Multimedia

Talk of the Nation: "The 10 Commandments in School" June 21, 1999.A crime bill approved by the House last Thursday contained a
provision to allow states to post the Ten Commandments in government buildings, including
public schools. Conservatives argue young people desperately need the moral lessons in the
commandments, but many see this as a dangerous violation of the divide between church and
state. Join Ray Suarez and guests Barry Lynn, John Eidsmoe, and Charles Moore, for a look
the debate over the ten commandments. (HTML)

Ideas and Issue: "The Role of Religion in the Public Schools" Nov. 1998.Hugh LaFollette interviews Barry Lynn, executive director of
Americans United. Lynn discusses the history of church-state
separation and the current efforts in the United States to usurp the constitutional principal.
Other topics discussed on the program include defining what "separation of church and state"
really means, issues like government sponsored prayer, official invocations at both football
games and graduation, and the future of state-church separation.

Tom Leykis Show: "Freedom From Religion Foundation" 1995.Audio from Dan Barker's appearance on the Tom Leykis Show. Dan
talks to Tom and callers about his organization and the principal of church-state separation.

Talk of the Nation: "The Politics of Evolution" August 16, 1999.More than a decade ago, the Supreme Court ruled that states
could not compel the teaching of creationism in public schools. Since then Creationists
have adopted a new strategy: trying to keep Darwinism out rather than forcing creationism
into the curriculum. The strategy has recently paid off, as the Kansas Board of Education
voted to delete virtually all references to evolution in its curriculum last Wednesday.
Join Ray Suarez as he discusses the politics of teaching evolution with Russel Lewis,
Wayne Carlie and Stephen C. Meyer, professor of Philosophy at Whitworth College.
(1st Report)
(2nd Report)
(HTML)

Secular
Web Radio Show: "Interview with Molleen Matsumura" 1999.Church-State Activist and Outreach Director of the National
Center for Science Education (NCSE) Molleen Matsumura talks with T. J. Walker about her
experiences with the Creationist Right in public schools, the Discovery Institute's
attempt to dumb down science, and reports to us from the front lines of the
creation-evolution battle

Talk of the Nation:
"Religion and the Bill of Rights" February 5, 1996.Talk of the Nation kicks off its series on the Bill of Rights
with a discussion of Freedom of Religion. Its principles are among the most treasured in
America, yet the First Amendment is often at the center of angry debate. Join Ray Suarez
for the first of two shows discussing the First Amendment, focusing on the provision
guaranteeing the freedom of religion.

Northwestern University:
"Supreme Court Oral Arguments"
 Engel versus Vitale (1962)
U.S. Supreme Court case which forbade public schools to require the recitation of prayers.
 Abington Township v. Schempp (1963)
Supreme Court case which prohibited any state law or school board to require that passages from the Bible
be read or that the Lordís Prayer be recited in the public schools at the beginning of each school day.
 Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
Established the three part test for determining if an action of government violates First Amendmentís separation
of church and state: 1) the government action must have a secular purpose; 2) its primary purpose must not be to
inhibit or to advance religion; 3) there must be no excessive entanglement between government and religion.
 Wallace v. Jaffree (1985)
Supreme Court case which the high court voted 6-3 to strike down an Alabama law requiring public schools to
set aside a moment of silence for meditation or prayer.
 Edwards v. Aguillard (1987)
Decision which held, 7-2, the Louisiana's "Creationism Act," unconstitutional. This statute prohibited the
teaching of evolution in public schools, except when it was accompanied by instruction in "creation science."
 Lee v. Weisman (1991)
Court ruled that public schools may not sponsor invocations at graduation ceremonies.

"It was the Universal opinion of the Century preceding the last, that Civil Government
could not stand without the prop of a religious establishment; and that the Christian
religion itself, would perish if not supported by the legal provision for its clergy. The
experience of Virginia conspicuously corroborates the disproof of both opinions. The Civil
Government, tho' bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite
stability and performs its functions with complete success; whilst the number, the
industry, and the morality of the Priesthood, and the devotion of the people have been
manifestly increased by the total separation of the Church from the State."
James Madison, letter to Robert Walsh, 1819.